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As Tiffany Meyers observes in her overview of the 100 winners, one can’t peg 2009 as the year of any specific color or typographic convention. But the winning projects are reflective of today’s increasingly diverse design discipline. In fact, one has to wonder if there is any longer such a thing as a design discipline—in light of today’s fast-changing and even amorphous practice, the word discipline seems a little out of place.
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Latest and Greatest Gadgets and Accessories (cont'd) |
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ALBUMS AND JOURNALS AND STATIONERY—OH, MY!
Well-known for her textiles and rugs in patterns
inspired by Maine coastal life, Angela Adams
has now jumped into the fashion world with her
bold belts and handbags, coveted by celebrities
and commoners alike. In recognition of her wellloved
designs, Chronicle Books has reproduced
them in a Mini Journal Set (four journals, each in
a di.erent pattern), Lulu Photo Album, Kenga
and Max Journals, and Lulu Mix and Match Stationery,
each named after their respective Angela
Adams patterns. Chronicle’s also producing
another crop of fresh, new stationery in its Oh
Boy! line—featuring clean, hip designs, and retro
forms and color palettes with a modern twist.
The Oh Boy! line includes paperback Green Oxford
and Red Daisy Journals with Wire-O binding
and two-color art throughout, the Mix and
Match Stationery in four different designs, and
the Fat Journal in hardcover with a lay-flat binding.
Grab some soon, and you’ll be hearing yourself
chanting, “Oh Boy!”
Angela Adams stationery line, $7.95–$29.95; Oh Boy! stationery line, $7.95–
$12.95; 800.722.6657 |
| GLOW YOUR OWN
Ever wish you had radioactive plants to
light up your backyard? OK, even if you
haven’t thought about that, you may
want some sort of alternative outdoor
lighting. Design Within Reach now has
one incredible option, created by Rob
Slewe and made in the Netherlands: an
oversized plant holder with four longlasting
LED lights that fill your patio
with more than 40,000 hours of luminescence.
The Bloom Pot—which is
also a good choice indoors for restaurants,
lobbies, and hallways alike—is
lightweight, weather-resistant, and big
enough for large plants or flower groupings.
Light it up, and only the pot’s
color and glow are visible—not the potting
material inside. A low-voltage, 12-
volt transformer helps the pot shed
light on any situation.
Design Within Reach Bloom Pot, $328,
800.944.2233
Flax Art & Design Really Cool Kid’s Desk, $139, 800.343.3529
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| WATCH IT, MISTER
Forget the hour hand, minute hand—heck, even the second hand. Nooka watches give us an entirely
new way of telling time, forgoing the usual radial dial which caused us all so much distress
in grade school (and some of us still today). Designed by creative director, artist, and instructor
at both Parsons School of Design and New School University in New York, Matthew Waldman,
the patented Nooka watch collection consists of the Nooka Zoo and the Nooka Zot. The
Zoo shows the hours in a window, with the minutes in a 59-increment horizontal bar, mirroring
how we perceive time—in a linear manner. The Zot shows the hours in a progression of 12 dots,
with the minutes again in a horizontal bar. Both are water-resistant, made of stainless steel with
LCD displays, a backlight, leather strap, and stainless steel buckles. The Nooka website claims,
“Nooka wearers are aware of time faster, and this heightened awareness saves time!”
Nooka Zoo Watch, $250
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| SQUIRRELS BE GONE
Have those darn squirrels stolen your birdfeed
again? No worries. Jim Schatz has designed a
rodent-proof birdfeeder for Design Within Reach. Its glossy-surfaced egg shape prevents
squirrels from getting a grip, but not only
that—it’s pretty to boot, in three bright colors
(aqua, green, yellow). The Egg is handcrafted
in ceramic earthenware that’s cast, glazed,
and fired, and it hangs from a sturdy aluminum
cable. The perches are made from weatherproof,
spun aluminum. This attractive look
on a yard staple provides lots of enjoyment for
birds and for humans, and it can be easily disassembled
and refilled.
Design Within Reach Egg Birdfeeder, $128,
800.944.2233
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